η’ beam asymmetry at threshold using the BGO-OD experiment

The unexpected nodal structure of the beam asymmetry recently reported by the GRAAL collaboration in eta' photoproduction very close to threshold could be explained by a previously unobserved narrow resonance. The BGO-OD experiment is ideally suited to verify this measurement via the detection of forward going charged particles which in the threshold region of interest allows the identification of the reaction gamma p -> eta'p solely based on the proton going in the forward direction. This yields unprecedented statistics if, in the missing mass analysis of the eta' meson, the background can be sufficiently well controlled. Preliminary results using a linearly polarised photon beam are shown. The reaction gamma p -> eta'p was identified in the BGO forward spectrometer, with simulated data used to seperate signal and background.